GWU nabs 1-0 win over Keydets in men's soccer

Saturday

Oct 6, 2012 at 12:01 AMOct 6, 2012 at 6:18 PM

Special to The Star

BOILING SPRINGS – After a special pre-match presentation to recognize Gardner-Webb men’s soccer head coach Tony Setzer for his 25 years of service to both the men’s soccer program and Gardner-Webb University as a whole, the Norwegian connection of Marius Hammersmark and Jon Ole Reinhardsen scored the lone goal of the match in the 70th minute to lift the Runnin’ Bulldogs over the VMI Keydets on Saturday afternoon.

The win is the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ second straight on the season and the third straight victory over the Keydets of VMI. GWU moves to 2-8-1 overall and 1-1-1 in conference play with the victory, while VMI falls to 1-8-1 and 0-3-1 in the Big South with the loss.

Gardner-Webb controlled the ball and the pace of the match for most of the opening half, as the Runnin’ Bulldogs put constant pressure on the VMI defensive backfield.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs’ first two shots would sail wide and offline in the early minutes of the contest, as the home team’s first shot on frame would come off the foot of midfielder Riley Shelton in the 14th minute.

VMI goalkeeper Daniel Kitchen made a stop on the shot,however, he appeared to have injured his self on the play, as he would exit the game shortly after making another diving save on a John Sargent shot in the20th minute.

The Gardner-Webb offensive onslaught did not slow down, as over the next 12 minutes of play, the Runnin’ Bulldogs fired off six more shots to the Keydets’ zero.

GWU looked to get on the scoreboard first in the 31st minute, as Hammersmark had his 12-foot shot attempt blocked by new VMI goalkeeper Taylor Feuerstein. The rebounded ball bounced back to GWU’s Denzel Clarke who took a quick shot on what appeared to be an open net, only to have a VMI defender come flying into the frame and heading the ball out to keep the match score at 0-0.

After an injury timeout to a VMI player that lasted for close to 20 minutes in the 35th minute, the Keydets came out of the break with a new sense of urgency as Kyle Farmer placed a shot on frame in the 35th minute, making Gardner-Webb goalkeeper Scott Krotee make a diving save on the play.

Off the ensuing corner kick, VMI’s David Rochow got his head on the ball and almost slipped it by the diving Krotee once more, yet it was knocked offline to keep the match scoreless with less than 10 minutes to play in the first half of play.

Sargent would have another shot blocked in the closingminutes of the opening half, as neither team would score to send the match into the halftime break at 0-0.

The second half would be much like the first, as the Runnin’ Bulldogs continued to play on the VMI Keydets’ side of the field for most of the 45 minutes.

After sophomore forward Denzel Clarke put a shot on target, which was saved by Feuerstein, in the 48th minute and a Hammersmark shot sailed wide left in the 51st minute, VMI registered its third shot of the game on a Farmer shot in the 64th minute.

The next Gardner-Webb shot would find the back of the net, as in the 70th minute, Hammersmark played a great cross to the top back corner of the goal box. There, Reinhardsen out jumped a VMI defender and got his head on the ball and sent it just inside the back left post in between the goalkeeper and another Keydet player to put the home team in front 1-0.

The goal was Reinhardsen’s first of the season, while fellow Norwegian Hammersmark recorded his second assist of the year on the play.

That would be all that the Runnin’ Bulldogs would need on the day, as GWU continued to possess the ball and force the Keydets to playdefense over the next 10 minutes of play.

Junior forward Chris Davis looked to add an insurance goal in the 83rd minute, as his shot from eight-yards out hit the bottom of the cross bar and bounced out. Freshman Craig Swaby then headed the bouncing ball, only to see it sail just over the cross bar and out of play.

VMI would not record a shot over the rest of the contest, as the Runnin’ Bulldogs held on for the 1-0 Big South Conference win, its first of the season.

GWU outshot the Keydets 17-3 for the match and also held a 6-2 advantage in shots on goal and a 9-2 lead in corner kicks over the 90 minutes of play.

The win was Krotee’s second on the season and his second shutout of the season.

Gardner-Webb will look to continue its winning streak next week, as the Runnin’ Bulldogs will hit the road to take on the UNC Asheville Bulldogs on Wednesday, October 10, at 4 p.m.

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